This invention relates to a carrier assembly for a storage device.
Carriers are often attached to storage devices to facilitate insertion and removal of the storage device from a data processing system chassis. For example, a typical storage system may include a plurality of drive bays, each drive bay configured to receive a hard disk drive mounted on a disk drive carrier assembly. An exemplary disk drive carrier assembly and its operation are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,225, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. These disk drive carrier assemblies are also sometimes referred to as drive brackets or drive sleds. Storage device assemblies incorporating the drive brackets which can be removed and reinserted while the data processing system is operating are sometimes referred to as hot-swap drives.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, a carrier assembly for a storage device having a substantially rectangular shape including a front, a back, a top, a bottom, a first lateral side, and a second lateral side opposite the first lateral side is provided. The carrier assembly comprises a body portion for mounting to the storage device, a side extension of the body portion, said side extension extending laterally beyond the first lateral side of the storage device, and a light conduit provided on the side extension and adapted to transmit light signals from a first end of the light conduit to a second end of the light conduit, said first end of the light conduit position to receive the light signals from a light source positioned laterially adjacent to the first lateral side of the storage device.
In accordance with other embodiments of the present invention, a data processing system is provided. The data processing system comprises an enclosure, at least one device bay in the enclosure, each device bay having a light source provided therein, and at least one storage device assembly, each storage device assembly being removably mounted in one of the at least one device bays. Each storage device assembly comprises a storage device having a substantially rectangular shape including a front, a back, a top, a bottom, a first lateral side, and a second lateral side opposite the first lateral side, and a carrier assembly mounted to the storage device. The carrier assembly comprises a body portion for mounting to the storage device, a side extension of the body portion, said side extension extending laterally beyond the first lateral side of the storage device, and a light conduit provided on the side extension and adapted to transmit light signals from a first end of the light conduit to a second end of the light conduit, said first end of the light conduit positioned to receive the light signals from the light source provided in the device bay the storage device assembly is inserted, the light source being positioned laterally adjacent to the first lateral side of the storage device.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method of operating a data processing system is provided. The method comprises mounting a storage device assembly into a storage device bay in a data processing system chassis, said storage device assembly including a body portion mounted to the storage device, a side extension of the body portion, said side extension extending laterally beyond the first lateral side of the storage device, and a light conduit provided on the side extension. The method further comprises performing input/output (I/O) operations on a storage device provided in the storage device assembly, emitting a light signal from a location laterally adjacent to the first lateral side of the storage device to indicate a status of operation for the storage device, receiving the light signal at a first end of the light conduit, and transmitting the light signal from a first end of the light conduit to a second end of the light conduit.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method of operating a data processing system is provided. The method comprises mounting a storage device assembly into a storage device bay in a data processing system chassis, said storage device assembly including a body portion mounted to the storage device, a side extension of the body portion, said side extension extending laterally beyond the first lateral side of the storage device, and a light conduit provided on the side extension, performing input/output (I/O) operations on a storage device provided in the storage device assembly, emitting a light signal from a location laterally adjacent to the first lateral side of the storage device to indicate a status of operation for the storage device, receiving the light signal at a first end of the light conduit, and transmitting the light signal from a first end of the light conduit to a second end of the light conduit.
Other features and aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the features in accordance with embodiments of the invention. The summary is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the claims attached hereto.